The invention disclosed herein pertains to a method and apparatus for converting a multiple row stream of containers into a single file stream.
A conveyor system capable of performing a conversion of this kind is described in European Patent No. 0 175 292. In the known conveyor system, a continuously operating infeed conveyor feeds bottles in a closely packed formation to an intermediate conveyor having several parallel conveyor belts which run at increasing speeds. In a transition area between the infeed and intermediate conveyors, an inclined deadplate is mounted and slants toward to intermediate conveyor. The deadplate forms an angle of about 60.degree. with the direction of conveyor advancement. The arrangement is suitable for converting a multiple row stream of bottles or other containers whose periphery is concentric or circular relative to the access of the containers. It makes no difference if circular bottles rotate while they are being conveyed since they present a similar surface in all directions at all times. In the known conveyor system, the so-called deadplate is used. The intermediate conveyor can continuously carry off rows of containers which stand behind each other on an incline at higher speed whereby these rows can be converted into a single file container stream with additional help of gravitational force due to the sloping of the discharge and guides.
On the other hand, when the containers are not rotationally symmetrical in cross section, the desired formation of them into a single file does not automatically originate in the area before the intermediate conveyor and the containers which are fed in by the infeed conveyor do not maintain their original alignment relative to the direction of conveyance during the process of converting from what are essentially randomly arranged groups of containers to a stream of containers in single file. An obvious disadvantage is that after conversion of the multiple row stream of containers to a single file stream additional mechanisms are required to reorient the irregularly shaped containers in a uniform manner.